


Resonance

by orphan_account



Series: SPN Writing Challenge [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Familiar Castiel, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, Witch Dean, Witch Sam, Witches & Familiars, familiar Gabriel, soul bonds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 00:17:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5070511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <strong><em>Resonance</em> - the term used by witches and familiars to describe the connection between their souls when their energies meet, the moment when the witch and familiar are truly one power.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dean is a witch with too much energy, a constant itch beneath his skin. Castiel is a familiar with barely any to stay awake, perpetual dark circles under his eyes. </p><p>Dean has never been a romantic, but he can't deny the way he and Cas resonate is somewhere between perfect and soulmate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resonance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mockingatticus (ladysaraj)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladysaraj/gifts).



> Written for the [SPN Writing Challenge](http://spnwritingchallenge.tumblr.com) October 2015 "Halloween"-themed prompt "witch." 
> 
> I've always wanted to do a witch/familiar fic, and I was so happy to see this was my prompt! Thank you to whatever gods or deities that allowed this perfect opportunity to come my way. 
> 
> This fic is written in sections, chronological but not necessarily close together, which is why I've tagged it "slice of life." I didn't really have a plot or anything, so I just threw together ideas that I liked. I wanted to do a full fic, but there just wasn't enough time. I may end up writing a full plot fic in the near future, so we'll just have to see! 
> 
> Dedicated to [Sara](http://mockingatticus.tumblr.com) because she knows just how much I've been wanting to do witches and familiars.

From his position at the window, Dean watched as one of the large clouds forming in the sky moved to cover the moon, and its faint light that had been spilling into the room faded to darkness, leaving the room lit only by the candles placed around the sigil Sam had drawn on the floor. He shivered in the chilled breeze seeping in, crossing his arms.

“You ready yet, Sammy?” he asked, impatience creeping into his voice. His foot tapped rhythmically against the low table he was standing by. It held the remaining amount of the ingredients for the spell Sam was performing.

Sam only shot him an annoyed look before looking back at the thick spell book by his knees. He grabbed a pinch of herbs, sprinkling them into the bowl in the center of the sigil.

“You’re free to leave anytime, jerk. Your negative vibes’ll probably ruin it, anyway.”

“My vibes are rays of fucking sunshine, bitch.”

“Sure thing, Dean.”

It was quiet again in the room as Sam finished putting what he needed together, topping off the concoction with a few drops of his own blood before stirring it gently with the tip of the dagger he’d used to draw his blood from his palm. He murmured a short chant, the hypnotic cadence of his voice lulling the atmosphere into a state of calm and peace.

Dean remained silent, watching his brother swirl the murky liquid in the bowl around as his soft chanting grew to a normal volume, and he closed his eyes and breathed evenly, focusing his own energy to enhance Sam’s. Not that Sam needed any help, but Dean knew he appreciated it, and Sam knew it helped Dean to be able to siphon off the extra energy that built up in him, nowhere to go without a familiar to naturally draw it out.

Sam’s familiar, Gabriel, was sprawled lazily in a chair on the other side of the table beside Dean, licking his paws in a seemingly bored manner. Dean knew he was alert as any of them, though, focused solely on Sam and his energy. Dean could nearly see the bond that had formed between them the first time Dean had brought Gabriel over to work on a project for their sophomore English class, the buzzing excess of energy exuding from Gabriel finding Sam’s calm lack of and meshing nearly perfectly.

Dean may not exactly like Gabriel’s personality, but he was relieved to know at least one other person on the planet was now just as protective of his little brother as he was.

Focusing back on Sam, Dean watched as his brother concluded his spell successfully, the brief flare of the candles in the room signaling it had been performed correctly. It was a pretty simple spell, something to improve the general mood of people in a designated area because apparently Sam was fed up with the assholes that kept picking on him, and, well. It was either this or Dean hunting them down and showing them exactly what a witch was capable of, but Sam had insisted changing their attitudes would be easier this way.

Which, okay, true, but Dean still wanted to hex the shit out of their asses.

The ever-present itch under his skin pulsed, and Dean flexed his hand as he pulled his thoughts to something less irritating.

“Alright, well,” he announced, dropping his arms and heading for the door. “That was fun. I’m gonna go check on Adam and make dinner now.”

From his peripherals, Dean saw a shift from the chair, and then Gabriel’s voice followed him.

“Can we have cake? I want cake. Devil’s Food, if you please.”

Dean rolled his eyes, otherwise ignoring him. He turned to face Sam instead. “I think we have stuff for lasagna, how does that sound?”

Sam nodded, more concentrated on cleaning up his mess. “Sounds good, Dean. Thanks.”

Dean smirked at Gabriel’s protests at not having cavity-inducing food for dinner, closing the door to the library as he made his way to the kitchen.

The itch hummed, and Dean decided making the lasagna from scratch would be a nice distraction.

* * *

His teacher was giving him the Stink Eye as Dean tapped his pen against his desk, but Dean had officially lost all control of his urge to fidget. His leg bounced against the basket under the chair of the desk in front of him, and he thanked whatever gods that bothered that no one sat in front of him. Or behind him, or beside him, for that matter, but especially in front of him. Mr. Roman’s glare was enough to set him even more on edge without the disapproving glances of his peers as well.

It had been too long since the last time he’d been able to expend the energy building in him; not like he could just go around casting A-level spells whenever he wanted, and he didn’t visit the clubs where unattached witches and familiars gathered to share energy and meet the “perfect match” anymore. That got tiring and frustrating real quick, and Dean was better off dealing with the itch without wanting to take it out on others. So yeah, he was kinda fidgety. 

He was just about to ask if he could go to the bathroom just so he could walk a bit of it off (and get away from the Stink Eye) when a knock came at the door, drawing the attention of the class. Mr. Roman continued on about whatever he was droning on about – Dean really wasn’t paying attention at this point – as he walked over to open the door, and another kid stepped into the room.

Dean’s eyes were drawn to him immediately, the distraction welcome. Black skinny jeans on strong legs, a collared shirt under a grey sweater beneath a large tan overcoat, messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He had dark bed hair that looked like his hands were constantly running through it, and large, rectangular glasses sat on his nose, making his big eyes look even bigger from where Dean was sitting five feet away, looking tired and worn. It was the blue of his eyes, though, that really drew Dean’s gaze – they seemed to glow behind the lenses of his glasses, and Dean stared.

The air in the room nearly crackled with energy, and Dean felt a strong, thrumming pulse rush through him as those blue eyes caught his, the guy staring back.

_Whoa. Okay. What the fuck._

“You must be the new kid they were talking about,” Mr. Roman’s voice broke through the haze in Dean’s mind, and he shook himself out of his daze as those blue eyes turned to their teacher.

“Castiel Novak.”

Mr. Roman looked over the roll sheet quickly, making a mark on it with a nod. He smiled his creepy, too-wide smile at the new kid – _Castiel_ – and gestured to the desks around Dean.

“Welcome to AP Lit, Mr. Novak. Please, have a seat. I’m afraid I don’t have an extra copy of the text for you at the moment, so you’ll have to share with Mr. Winchester for today. See me after class for the things you’ll need.”

Castiel simply nodded, making his way over to the row next to the one Dean was in, walking back to the desk right beside Dean and sitting down gracefully before turning his gaze back to Dean. As Castiel turned to him, Dean was suddenly aware of the intense aura around Castiel, powerful like a coming rainstorm, yet just as calm, drawing him in. He could even smell the soothing scent of rain on the air, and Dean couldn’t take his eyes from Castiel.

And that’s when Dean noticed it: the restless energy that perpetually itched beneath his skin was calming, lessening, and he felt that energy being gently drawn out of his soul, like a caress to remove a piece of hair from a forehead. It was being drawn _towards_ Castiel, and Dean watched as Castiel took a deep breath, eyes closing, and he didn’t look quite as tired when he opened them again to stare intently at Dean.

Dean stared back, watching as the blue of his irises pulsed faintly, settling into an actual soft _glow,_ and suddenly it clicked.

Castiel was a familiar.

Without the buzzing beneath his skin, in his veins, Dean felt himself relax into his seat, his bouncing leg stilling and his pen sitting still on his desk. It was such a drastic change that even Mr. Roman gave him a quizzical look before turning back to the lesson, but Dean barely noticed as Castiel scooted his chair just a bit closer, disguising the urge to be near Dean as simply needing to see the text they were analyzing that day.

They didn’t speak to each other, but Dean thought it was probably because what could they say that wasn’t obvious already? Dean was a witch with too much energy and Castiel was a familiar with barely any to stay awake, both obviously unbonded. Everything they needed to say for now was exchanged in a glance, and Dean was floored how easy it felt to lean into Castiel’s space, having to hold back a sigh of relief as a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in too long came over him.

They’d have to talk about it in actual words sometime, sure, but for now, it was nice to not feel like he was coming out of his skin for the rest of the class period.

When the bell finally rang, Dean was slow to get up, letting the others in the class clear out while Castiel met with Mr. Roman and received the materials for the class that he needed. By some unspoken agreement, Dean waited for him at the door, and when Castiel joined him, he offered his hand. Castiel stared at it for a moment before taking it in his and Dean pulled him down the hall to the cafeteria for their lunch period.

“Sorry if this is weird,” Dean finally said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. “I don’t usually, uh, you know.” He held up their clasped hands in indication of what he meant before dropping them again.

Castiel just moved closer to him, and Dean exhaled heavily at the sudden release of tension, his energy pulled out of him to a more manageable level, and Castiel inhaled deeply as his energy increased.

“I don’t find it weird,” Castiel said thoughtfully. “Though it may just be because I’m feeling something other than perpetually fatigued.” Dean looked over at that and caught the slight upturn of Castiel’s lips.

“Yeah,” Dean agreed with a smirk of his own, “it’s nice to feel like I’m not vibrating out of my skin. I’m Dean, by the way,” he added after a beat.

“Nice to meet you, Dean.”

“You too, Cas,” Dean smiled, and Cas’ answering one grew wider. “So, a lack of energy, huh?” Dean snorted. “If only I had that excuse. I’d love to be lazy.”

“Trust me, if I could take all of your energy, I would.” Castiel sighed. “It has been ages since I had the motivation to do more than go through the motions. I think the last time I was able to siphon energy from a witch was before my brother found his familiar. That was about three years ago.”

“Yeah, my brother found his about two years ago.” Dean led Cas into one of the food lines as soon as they reached the cafeteria, absently swinging their hands between them.

He’d heard how, when witches found their familiars, everything just fell into place – _resonated_ – but he hadn’t realized it wasn’t just a bunch of over-romanticized bullshit. It was a nice surprise, actually.

“Gabe was actually my partner for an English project, and he’d come over to work on it one weekend, and as soon as they were in the same room, bam!” Dean chuckled at the memory. “They work really well, though, even though Gabe’s probably the most annoying person on the planet.”

“Did you not resonate with him at all?”

Resonating was the term witches and familiars used to describe the connection between their souls when their energies met, the moment when the witch and familiar were truly one power. Usually it was seen as a romantic, soulmate-type ordeal, but it was really a bond between two kindred spirits that worked so well together that it was hard to discern one energy from the other. Very few witches and familiars experienced true resonance, but it was still highly sought.

“Nah,” Dean shook his head. “He’s got a weird surplus of energy for a familiar, and that just wasn’t what I needed, ya know?”

“You just can’t appreciate my weirdness, Dean-o.”

Arms wound themselves around Dean and Cas’ shoulders as Gabriel’s face rested on their shoulders between them, and Dean glared at his fellow senior, while Cas looked bemused.

“No one asked you,” Dean grumbled, moving them up in the line.

Gabriel just grinned, turning to look at Castiel with an appraising gaze, eyes darting down to eye the hands still clasped between them. He looked back up at Dean with a raised brow. “So when’s the wedding, Dean-o? This is looking pretty serious. Hand-holding in public already, wow.”

“Shut up, Gabe,” Dean shot him a look. Catching Cas’ amused blue eyes, he rolled his and gestured to Gabriel. “Cas, this is my brother’s familiar. Just ignore him.”

Gabriel drew back with a theatrical gasp, holding a hand to his heart. “I am crushed, Dean-o. How could you treat me so cruelly?” He snickered when Dean just glared again before turning to Cas. “Gabriel Shurley, my good man. It’s a pleasure to meet another familiar.”

“You as well, Gabriel,” Cas smiled, and Dean couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment. He was even more adorable when he smiled.

Grabbing his choice of food for the day, Dean led Cas and Gabe over to an empty table. Cas sat beside him, nearly on the edge of his seat as he unconsciously moved closer, and Gabriel sat across the table from them, pulling a pack of Skittles from his pocket.

“Oh, Dean-o,” Gabriel popped a couple Skittles into his mouth, “I came over to bug you because I need to know whether to take Sam home today or not. He said he was gonna have to stay late real soon. Has that started?”

Dean swallowed the bite of nachos he’d taken. “Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, yes, his rehearsals have started, so no, you won’t have to pick him up. Not today.” Sam was in band, and after school sectionals had started in preparation for the Christmas concert, even though it was still a couple months away. “They’re only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, though, so. I’ll get him when I get out of shop before getting Adam.”

Usually, Gabriel took Sam home before heading to his concurrent class up at the culinary school, since the middle school got out earlier than the high school and Gabriel was done at the high school after fifth period. Dean left right after lunch for his own mechanical engineering class at the Math and Science Institute, so he usually picked up Adam once the elementary school let out.

“Okay, cool.” With that, Gabriel gave them a small salute and sauntered off, whistling brightly to himself.

Dean shook his head, pushing his plate of nachos between him and Cas so they could share. He smiled as Cas happily took a chip, dripping in cheese and beans, and bit into it. They ate in a comfortable silence for a while before Dean looked at the clock on the wall.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be ditching you right after lunch,” Dean announced, eating another chip, and he felt a slight lurch in his chest at the suddenly crestfallen expression on Cas’ face. “Don’t give me that look, I have an engineering class over at the Institute.”

“Oh.” Cas brightened again. “I actually have concurrent classes up at the university. Thank you for reminding me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes, history and humanities courses.”

“Fun,” Dean deadpanned, and Cas smiled. “So, see? You’ll be leaving after fifth period anyway. What time’s your last class get out?”

“Four,” Cas answered. “I have to be up there by two, and they’re only about fifty minutes.”

“You drive?”

Cas gave him an unimpressed look. “I wouldn’t have signed up for concurrent classes if I couldn’t get to them, Dean. Yes, I drive.”

Dean laughed, holding up his hands. “Fair enough. But you also said you have a brother, so I didn’t know…”

Cas smiled again. “Michael is in his third year of university, but he’s on campus in classes until I get out. He lives at home, so Mom takes him to class at the beginning of the day, and I’ll be taking him home.”

“Is he your only brother?”

“Yes. He’s my only sibling.” Cas hesitated, looking away, and Dean nudged his leg in support. Cas eyes were sad when he met Dean’s again. “I had a twin sister, but she was born extremely sick, and her heart gave out about a week after our birth. I never knew her, of course, but.” He shrugged, and Dean could almost hear the _but it still hurts to know_ in the gesture.

Pushing the now empty plate of nachos away, Dean leaned over and wrapped a comforting arm around Cas’ shoulders. “I’m sorry to hear that, man. My brothers are everything to me, so I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose one of ‘em, even if I never really knew ‘em.”

The mood around them now was somber, and Dean ran his hand soothingly up and down Cas’ arm, letting Cas lean into him. What a topic for a first conversation.

It wasn’t a minute or so later when the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Dean stood with Cas, grabbing the plate and tossing it in the nearest trashcan before slinging his bag on his shoulder. He turned and smiled at Cas, giving him another lingering hug, feeling a pleasant tingle as more of his restless energy was soothed and drawn out.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow, Cas,” he said, pulling away. He stuck a hand in his pocket, then pulled it back out as a thought struck him. “Oh, hey, why don’t you give me your number? Since we only have one class together anyway.” He hoped he sounded more nonchalant than eager, but he wasn’t sure he pulled it off.

Cas either didn’t notice or didn’t care, grinning as Dean handed over his phone, and he quickly added himself as a new contact before handing the phone back. “I sent myself a text, so I’ll have your number. We should hang out sometime.”

“Definitely.” Dean grinned too. “I’ll take you for burgers or something. The Roadhouse has the absolute _best_ bacon cheeseburger you’ll ever have.”

Cas laughed as he turned to head into the throng of students heading to their next class. “You had me at ‘burgers’, Dean. I’ll see you later. Text me.”

Dean waved and watched him disappear into the crowd, then headed out into the parking lot and towards the Impala. His smile was wide and goofy the entire way to the Institute, and the energy in his soul was at peace for the entire class period, letting him concentrate on his work instead of pulling his attention to a million different places.

And if the of image blue eyes and tousled bed hair and a wide, gummy smile kept a warm place at the back of his mind and made his heart stutter in his chest, well. It was no one’s business but his.

* * *

**From: Dean**  
**Received: 4:03 PM**  
_so i was thinking theres a booth w our names on it at ellens tonight what say u?_

 **Sent: 4:04 PM** _  
That sounds fine, Dean. When?_

 **From: Dean**  
**Received: 4:07 PM**  
_‘bout 7ish? jo said theres gonna be live music. some indie rock band no ones heard of b4 but hey im feeling adventurous lol_

 **From: Dean**  
**Received: 4:07 PM**  
_ill pick u up :D_

 **Sent: 4:09 PM**  
_I’ll see you at 6:45, Dean. ;)_

* * *

Sam watched, eyebrow raised, as Dean and Castiel made eyes at each other at the dinner table, homework forgotten.

“It’s so sweet it’s gross,” Gabriel sneered beside him, rolling his eyes. He went back to the magazine in his lap.

Sam nodded in agreement, turning back to his own homework spread out over the coffee table in the living room. Adam was next to him, focused on the game he was in the middle of on the PlayStation. Cas had come over to work on his and Dean’s AP Lit project like he had been for the last month now, and Sam was convinced the only reason it wasn’t done yet was because of the staring that distracted him and his brother. Every single goddamn time.

Not that he minded having Cas over – Cas was awesome, and Dean was definitely benefiting, which meant Sam didn’t have to listen to him bitch and moan – but the making eyes was getting kind of annoying.

They just needed to kiss it out already.

He glanced over at his own familiar, smiling contentedly when Gabriel curled up closer to his side and felt the extra boost of energy transferred through their own bond. He went back to his algebra homework feeling reinvigorated.

* * *

Dean attempted not to fidget as Michael’s dark eyes raked over him, sizing him up and judging him or whatever it was he was doing. He could hear Cas from the foyer, running around upstairs as he finished getting ready, and Dean told himself to take deep breaths and not panic, it was just a date.

He coughed at the thought, feeling his face heat up as he remembered this was a _date._ An honest to god we’ve-got-reservations-and-I’m-wearing-a-fucking- _tie_ date. He was wearing his nicest pair of jeans – the skinny jeans Sam got him for his birthday even though Dean insisted he didn’t wear skinny jeans, dammit (he’d take it to the grave that he thought they made his ass look fantastic and hugged him just right) – and the pale olive green button up that Kate said brought out his eyes.

He tugged on the end of his dark forest green tie, eyeing Michael as he stood with his arms crossed. They were at a standoff, Dean trying not to hyperventilate under the scrutiny or snap at Michael to ask what his problem was. He’d met the guy a couple times when he and Cas worked on their project at his house, and he seemed like a cool guy, if a bit overprotective. Dean could relate, but still.

This was the first official date he and Cas would be on, and Dean couldn’t help his nerves. After nearly two months of endless texting, hanging out together at the Roadhouse or each other’s homes, and spending evenings together with Dean working spells and Cas balancing out his energy, Dean had finally worked up the courage to actually ask him out. He had been absolutely mortified as he stuttered through it, none of his smooth cockiness that he usually had when he asked someone out present, and he’d nearly passed out in relief when Cas just smiled and said of course.

His nerves still hadn’t taken that hike Dean had wished they would. And Michael’s glaring wasn’t helping.

Footsteps on the stairs drew their attention, and Dean felt his breath catch as Cas came downstairs. His hair was as unruly as ever and his glasses still slipped down his nose, but he’d put on that pair of dark skinny jeans that hugged his legs in all the right ways that made Dean’s knees weak, and his own deep blue button up matched his glowing blue eyes. He had on a dark waistcoat, and Dean couldn’t help his smile at his loose backwards tie.

Cas’ smile was wide and so happy Dean’s heart gave a hard thump.

“Hello, Dean,” he greeted, cheeks flushed.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean’s voice was rough, and he cleared his throat as Cas came to stand beside him. “You ready?”

“Yes, Dean.”

Michael was still regarding him coolly, but when Cas turned to him, his expression softened into a smile. “Have fun tonight, Cas.” He pulled his brother into a quick hug, smoothing down the wrinkles in his shirt.

“I will,” Cas said, smiling up at him. “I’ll be home before midnight, I promise.”

Michael eyed Dean, then turned back to Cas. “Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your date.”

Cas gave his brother another hug, then turned to take Dean’s hand. “Let’s go, Dean.”

Cas stepped out of the house, Dean following him, but he stopped at the hand on his arm. He turned back to Michael, wary, but his eyes were soft and there was a small grin on his face.

“Have a good night tonight, Dean,” Michael said. “He has really been looking forward to it.”

Dean managed a genuine grin. “Sure thing, Mike. Thanks.”

With a small wave, Michael retreated into the house as Dean headed down the driveway to the Impala where Cas was waiting, grinning at him with anticipation and excitement.

“Come on, Dean! We need to be there soon!”

Dean laughed, opening Cas’ door for him so he could slide in. “Chill, Cas. We’ve got plenty of time.” Cas rolled his eyes as Dean shut the door after he was seated. Dean jogged around the car, getting in behind the wheel and putting the key in the ignition. Before starting her up, he turned to look at Cas, his eyes sweeping over his mussed hair and his backwards tie and the tanned skin of his forearms in the late evening light. Their energies swirled together, the itch under his skin abating and the blue of Cas’ eyes glowing brighter, and a warm feeling settled in his chest as their eyes met. He smiled softly.

“You look good, Cas,” he murmured, heat in his cheeks. Cas’ cheeks flushed as well, and he dropped his gaze to his lap as Dean started the engine.

“You look very good too, Dean.”

On impulse, Dean let one hand slide off the wheel and over to Cas, and his smile widened when Cas took it and slid their fingers together.

* * *

The moon was high and full as Dean stood outside, gazing up at it, hands in his pockets. He could hear the laughter of the neighborhood kids as they hit the streets, decked out in their costumes with sacks and buckets and jack-o-lantern pails to hold the candy they hoped to get that night. Dean had thought about dressing up as Batman and playing vigilante, but this night was special for more than just commercial reasons, and he figured it wouldn’t do to dishonor it.

The clearing he stood in was close behind his house, but still far enough removed from the neighborhood that none of the kids would stumble into it without purposefully meaning to be there. It was hidden well within the trees, and because it was such a popular spot for the people in Dean’s community, he wasn’t worried about any interruptions from civilians – they all believed it to be either cursed or a place of devil worship, so they stayed clear.

Not that they were wrong. There was still a faint hint of sulfur still in the air from last year when Andy thought it’d be a smart idea to try to bind a demon to him. Thank the gods the stupid son of a bitch knew his way around a Devil’s Trap, Dean thought wryly. Meg had been pretty chill, though, so there hadn’t been any trouble. Still, it was a place of power, and while only witches and familiars actually knew it, everyone could sense it on some level.

A slight rustle and movement on his left caught his attention, and Dean watched from the corner of his eye as a sleek, black cat hopped up on the stump of a fallen birch. It licked its paw a couple times before rubbing it over one of its ears, and when it was done it turned its head toward Dean. Its blue eyes glowed brightly in the moonlight, mixed with the energy drawn from Dean, and Dean grinned.

“Hey, Cas.”

Between one breath and the next, Cas’ slender human form took the place of his sleek familiar form, and he crossed his legs, remaining on the stump. His answering grin was wide and soft, and he pushed his large glasses frames back up his nose.

“Hello, Dean.”

Dean meandered over to him, gently bumping his arm into Cas’ shoulder and sighing in content as Cas’ arms came up to wrap around his waist in a hug. He ran the fingers of one hand through thick, soft hair, and he could feel Cas practically purring against his stomach. Cas gazed up at him, eyes wide behind his lenses, with a mischievous innocence in their depths.

Unable to resist, Dean leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Cas’ lips, and Cas hummed contentedly as their energies stirred, twisting together. Dean exhaled through his nose, melting into Cas as his innate power, his soul, began to bind itself to Cas’. The bond wanted to form but would not without full consent, settling instead into a hanging state of stasis. It was like a loose knot, finished and tightened if pulled one way but easy to undo if you changed your mind.

Witches and familiars who resonated well together usually bonded immediately; why keep being miserable when there’s someone there to balance you out? By all accounts, Dean and Cas resonated beyond well – if they had to put a label on it, they’d have to say it was that true sort of resonance that young witches and familiars only heard about in fairy tales, that kind that only the most hopeless of romantics believed actually existed. Dean hadn’t been one of them, but he couldn’t deny just how right it felt to have Cas as his familiar.

The longer they were together, their energies syncing so perfectly, the more Dean wondered why they hadn’t bonded as soon as it was obvious Cas was a familiar after he’d walked into Mr. Roman’s AP Lit class.

“You sure, Cas?” Dean whispered against his lips, pulling from their kiss and breathing heavily.

The glow of Cas’ eyes brightened in determination and adoration, and Dean felt his knees go weak. The bond, their souls, pulsed in anticipation, and Dean had the crazy thought that it was holding its breath. But maybe that was just him.

“I’m your familiar, Dean,” Cas said simply. He tightened his arms around Dean, pressing close. “I’m always sure about you.”

Dean smiled again, feeling the bond snap into place with another pulse of warmth and calm and peace and _right_ and _mine_ , and leaned back in for another, lingering kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [leviathncas](http://leviathncas.tumblr.com)


End file.
